Yussuf the Guide Part 47

"Then we must go and see Vesuvius," cried Mr Burne decisively. "He shall not be disappointed."

"I think the young effendi may perhaps see one burning a little here,"

said Yussuf quietly. "There are times when a curious light is seen floating up high among the mountains. The peasants call it a spirit light, but it must be the sulphurous glare rising from one of the old cones, above some of which I have seen smoke hanging at times."

"Why, Yussuf, you are quite a professor yourself, with your cones, and sulphurous, and arguments," cried Mr Burne.

"A man cannot be wandering all his life among nature's wonders, effendi, and showing English, and French, and German men of wisdom the way, without learning something. But I will watch each night and see if I can make out the light over the mountains."

"Do, Yussuf," cried the professor eagerly.

Yussuf bowed.

"I will, excellency, but it is not often seen--only now and then."

They began to descend the side of the defile, and before long came upon a fine grove of ancient planes, upon some of whose leafless limbs tall long-necked storks were standing, placidly gazing down at them unmoved; and it was not until the party were close by that they spread their wings, gave a kind of bound, and floated off, the protection accorded to them making them fearless in the extreme.

"Stop!" cried the professor suddenly, and the little party came to a stand by a rough craggy portion of the way where many stones lay bare.

"Well, what is it?" cried Mr Burne impatiently, "I'm sure those are natural or live stones, as you call them."

"Yes," said the professor; "it was not the stones which attracted me, but the spring."

"Well, we have pa.s.sed hundreds of better springs than that, and besides it is bad water; see, my horse will not touch it."

"I thought I was right," cried the professor dismounting. "Look here, Lawrence, that decides it; here is our first hot spring."

"Hot?" cried Lawrence, leaping off and bending over the spring. "Why, so it is."

"Yes, a pretty good heat. This is interesting."

"It is a volcanic country, then," said Lawrence eagerly. "Oh, Mr Preston, we must see a burning mountain."

"It does not follow that there are burning mountains now," said the professor smiling, "because we find hot springs."

"Doesn't it?" said Lawrence in a disappointed tone.

"Certainly not. You would be puzzled to find a volcano in England, and yet you have hot springs in Bath."

"Effendi, be on your guard. I do not like the look of these people,"

said Yussuf quickly, for a party of mounted men, all well-armed, was seen coming from the opposite direction; but they pa.s.sed on scowling, and examining the little group by the hot spring suspiciously.

"A false alarm, Yussuf," said the professor smiling.

"No, effendi," he replied; "these are evil men. Let us get on and not stop at this village, but make our way to the next by another track which I know, so as to reach the old ruined city, and they may not follow. If they do, I think they will not suspect the way we have gone."

There seemed to be reasons for Yussuf's suspicions, the men having a peculiarly evil aspect. A perfectly honest man sometimes belies his looks, but when a dozen or so of individuals mounted upon shabby Turkish ponies, all well-armed, and wearing an eager sinister look upon their countenances, are seen together, if they are suspected of being a dishonest lot, there is every excuse for those who suspect them.

"'Pon my word, Preston," said Mr Burne, "I think we had better get off as soon as possible."

"Oh, I don't know," replied the professor; "the men cannot help their looks. We must not think everyone we see is a brigand."

"You may think that those are, effendi," said Yussuf in his quiet way.

"Let us get on. You go to the front and follow the track beyond the village--you can make no mistake, and I will hang back and try and find out whether we are followed."

"Do you think there is danger, then?" whispered the professor.

"I cannot say, effendi; it may be so. If you hear me fire, be on your guard, and if I do not return to you, hasten on to the next village, and stay till you have sent messengers to find an escort to take you back."

"Yussuf! is it so serious as that?"

"I don't know, effendi. I hope not, but we must be prepared."

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

A STARTLING CHECK.

Yussuf's suspicions seemed to be without reason, for the rest of that day's journey was finished without adventure, and the party reached a village and found good quarters for the night.

So comfortable were they that the scare was laughed at, and it seemed to all three that Yussuf was rather ashamed of his timidity.

Contrary to their experience of many nights past they found the head-man of the village civil and even b.u.mble; but it did not excite the suspicion of the travellers, who congratulated themselves upon their good fortune.

The only drawback to their comfort was the fact that Lawrence was suffering somewhat from the shock of his descent from the rocky shelf.

At first he had merely felt a little stiff, the excitement of the whole adventure tending to keep his thoughts from his personal discomfort; but by degrees he found that he had received a peculiar jar of the whole system, which made the rec.u.mbent position the most comfortable that he could occupy.

It was no wonder, for the leaps which the pony had made were tremendous, and it was as remarkable that the little animal had kept its feet as that Lawrence had retained his seat in the saddle.

The next morning, a memorable one in their journey, broke bright and clear; and Lawrence, after a hearty breakfast of bread, yaourt, and honey, supplemented by coffee which might have been better, and peaches which could not have been excelled, mounted Ali Baba in the highest of spirits, feeling as he did far better for his night's rest. The sun was shining gloriously and lighting up the sides of the mountains and flashing from the streams that trickled down their sides. Low down in the deep defiles there were hanging mists which looked like veils of silver decked with opalescent tints of the most delicate transparency, as they floated slowly before the morning breeze.

Their host of the night wished them good speed with a smiling face, and they were riding off when Lawrence happened to look back and saw that the man had taken off his turban and was making a derisive gesture, to the great delight of the group of people who were gathered round.

Lawrence thought it beneath his notice and turned away, but this once more seemed to give strength to Yussuf's suspicions.

But a bright morning in the midst of the exhilarating mountain air is not a time for bearing in mind suspicions, or thinking of anything but the beauty of all around. They were higher up in the mountains now, with more rugged scenery and grand pine-woods; and as they rode along another of the curious shelf-like tracks by the defile there was constantly something fresh to see.

They had not been an hour on the road before Yussuf stopped to point across the gorge to an object which had taken his attention on the other side.

"Do you see, effendi Lawrence?" he said smiling.

"No."

"Yonder, just to the left of that patch of bushes where the stone looks grey?"

"Oh, yes; I see now," cried the lad--"a black sheep."